Dave Chappelle Opens Up To David Letterman On Why He Left 'Chappelle's Show': 'I Never Quit, I'm Just 7 Years Late For Work' [VIDEO]

In a rare public appearance Dave Chappelle gave some candid and truly funny responses about his reasons behind leaving the Chappelle's Show while making an appearance on Letterman. The truly striking thing about the discussion is that they were talking about a decision made ten years ago. A decision to turn down more fame and more fortune than most of us can conceive of, and ten years later,  most of us still have trouble wrapping our heads around. 

Opening the interview Chapelle said, "Technically, I never quit, I'm just seven years late for work." When Letterman asked about why he spent time in South Africa, and how there was quite a bit of mystery about that, Chappelle responded by saying," I don't know, when it was all over the media I was gone... I don't know if it was mysterious or not mysterious, it was like living in the corner of perception reality. Its like when everyone thought Wesley Snipes was in jail, and I saw him at a party." 

Continuing to speak on his decision to leave, specifically about his turning down of 50 million dollars he said, " its hard to go to something like this, because no one has done it before. There aren't too many people who don't think I'm crazy."

"The difference in lifestyle is miniscule. The only difference between having ten million dollars and fifty million dollars is an astounding forty million dollars. Of course I would like to have that money. Money is the fuel for choices, money gives me choices, I can choose where my kids go to school, what I want to eat, but it is not the end all be all." 

Chappelle walked away from his critically and commercially successful sketch comedy show on Comedy Central in 2005, causing unfounded rumors of drug abuse and mental disorders. In reality he quit because the show was interfering with his ability to do standup, his primary passion. Chapelle still does standup and recently sold out five shows in the Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan.